Ukrainian students' conceptualisations of sexual and reproductive health and rights within a transformative learning programme during wartime: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) education is particularly important in wartime Ukraine, where young people face disrupted access to services, persistent socio-cultural taboos, and increased vulnerability related to conflict. However, little is known about how Ukrainian students and future professionals understand and make sense of SRHR.

OBJECTIVE

This study explored how SRHR was conceptualised in pre-course written responses and articulated in post-course focus group reflections, and how these framings related to students' future professional readiness in wartime Ukraine.

METHODS

A qualitative exploratory design was used. Data comprised pre-course open-ended responses (n = 15) and post-course focus group discussions (three groups; n = 16) from voluntary participants of the same international SRHR course. The two datasets were analysed using framework analysis and treated as complementary qualitative sources rather than as matched individual-level pre-post data.

RESULTS

Pre-course written responses showed that students mostly understood SRHR in biomedical and informational terms, focusing on reproductive health, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and access to medical services. In post-course focus group reflections, SRHR was discussed more broadly, with attention to psychological, social, ethical, institutional, and rights-based dimensions: students reflected on professional responsibility, youth-friendly services, structural barriers, and the importance of SRHR in the context of war.

CONCLUSIONS

Transformative learning-based SRHR education provided a useful context for broader reflection on sexual and reproductive health and rights among future professionals. Integrating such courses into higher education may support professional reflection and preparedness for SRHR-related practice during war and post-war recovery in Ukraine.